Serbian americans

by Bosiljka Stevanović

Overview

Located in the southeast portion of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia, which
occupies 34,116 square miles, is the largest of the former
Yugoslavia's six republics. Included in its territory are the
autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. Serbia is bordered by
Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, Macedonia and
Albania to the south, Bosnia-Herzegovina to the west, and Croatia to the
northwest. Serbia's population of 11.2 million consists of 64
percent Serbs, 14 percent Albanians (mostly in the Kosovo region), 6
percent Montenegrins, and 4 percent Hungarians. Other groups include
Germans, Gypsies, Romanians, Slovenians, and Turks. About 65 percent of
the population belongs to the Eastern Orthodox church, 19 percent are
Muslim, and 5 percent are Christian. The country's flag consists of
three equal horizontal stripes: blue, white, and red (from top to bottom).
The capital city is Belgrade. The official language is Serbian.

HISTORY

The Serbs settled in the Balkans in the seventh century during the reign
of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-41
A.D.
). The Serbs are Slavs, whose prehistoric home had been in the general
area of today's Byelorussia and Ukraine. In the sixth century
A.D.
the Slavs began to leave their land, dispersing
themselves to the north, east, west, and south. The Serbs went south, and
became known as the South Slavs, or Yugoslavs.

The earliest and the most powerful principalities, or states, were Zeta
(located in modern-day Montenegro) and Raska (located in present-day
Kosovo). The earliest significant rulers of Zeta were Mutimir (829-917),
during whose reign the Serbs accepted Christianity; Cheslav (927-960), an
enlightened ruler who created a strong state; and Voislav (1034-1042), who
was successful in asserting Zeta's statehood from Byzantium. His
son Michael followed (1050-1082), and during his reign the church broke
into two: the Western church, or the Roman Catholic church, and the
Eastern Orthodox church, headed by a Patriarch and with Constantinople as
its papal seat.

In time, Zeta weakened and Raska achieved great political and military
power. The ascension to the throne of Raska by the Grand Zupan Stefan
Nemanja (1114-1200) marks one of the most important events in Serbian
history. Founding the Nemanjić Dynasty, which was to rule for the
next 200 years, he ushered in the Golden Age of Serbian medieval history.
An able politician and statesman, Stefan Nemanja ruled from 1168 to 1196,
consolidating his political power within the state, undertaking
Serbia's territorial expansion, and achieving independence from
Byzantium. Religiously, however, Serbia became irreversibly tied to the
Eastern rites and traditions of Byzantium. In 1196 he called an assembly
of nobles and announced his abdication in favor of his son Stefan
Prvovencani, or Stefan the First Crowned. Stefan married Anna Dondolo, the
granddaughter of the Venetian Doge Enrico Dondolo, thus securing his
power. In 1217 Pope Honorius III sent his legate with a royal crown for
Stefan, who became Stefan Prvovencani, or the First Crowned. The crowning
confirmed the independence of Serbia, and also brought about the
recognition of the Serbian state as an European state.

King Stefan then turned his attention to the creation of an independent
and national church. His brother Sava undertook numerous diplomatic
missions before he was able to attain this goal, and in 1219 he was
consecrated as the First Archbishop of the Serbian Autocephalus
(autonomous) Church. This event marks another cornerstone in Serbian
history and Serbian Orthodoxy, for in 1221 Archbishop Sava was able to
crown his brother King Stefan again, this time according to the religious
rites and customs of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Saint Sava is one of the most sacred and venerated historical figures in
the minds and hearts of Serbs. Aside from contributing enormously to
education and literacy in general, Saint Sava, together with King Stefan,
wrote the first Serbian literary work, a biography of their father.

As the Serbian medieval state matured politically, it also developed a
solid and prosperous economy. The state's Golden Age, reached its
apogee during the reign of Czar Dušan Silni, Emperor Dušan
the Mighty (1308-1355). An extremely capable ruler, he secured and
expanded the Serbian state, while richly endowing the Serbian Orthodox
Church, which was the center of learning and artistic creativity,
predating even the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance. He elevated the
head of the church to the Patriarchy, and consolidated the internal
affairs through the Emperor's
Zakonik
, the written Code of Laws, unique at that time in Europe. Emperor
Dushan's accomplishments were such that Serbs today continue to
draw inspiration and solace from the national pride and glory achieved
during his time.

The Battle of Kosovo Polje ("The Field of Blackbirds") on
June 28, 1389, fought between the Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Murad I
(1319-1389), and the Serbs led by Czar Lazar (1329-1389) changed the
course of Serbian history for centuries to come, for the Serbian defeat
was followed by 500 years of Turkish rule and domination. Over the
centuries Serbia remained totally isolated from the rest of Europe, and
could not participate in the enormous political changes or cultural and
industrial progress unfolding in other European states.

The land and all other natural resources became the Sultan's
domain. The Turks became landowners called
sipahis
, while the Serbs were reduced to the status of
raya
, the populace who worked the land they previously had owned; their labor
was called
kulluk
, a term which to this day denotes the work of slaves. Every four years
the countryside was raided; small Serbian male children were forcibly
taken from their families and brought to Istanbul, where they were raised
and trained to become Janissaries, the Ottoman's elite military
unit. Another particularly distasteful practice was the use of economic
pressures to convert people to Islam.

In 1804 Karadjordje (Black George, or Karadjordjević) Petrovic
(1752-1817), a merchant, led the First Serbian Uprising against the Turks.
Severe Turkish reprisals caused many Serbian leaders to escape north to
Vojvodina, where the monasteries at Fruska Gora became Serbian cultural
strongholds. Among those who escaped was Miloš Obrenović
(Milosh Obrenovich) (1780-1860), a local administrator, who emerged as the
leader of the Second Serbian Uprising against the Turks in 1815. In 1829
Serbia was granted autonomy by the Turkish
Sultan under a hereditary prince. A lengthy feud between the
Karadjordjević and Obrenović dynasties ensued.

Serbia's struggle to establish itself as an independent nation in
the nineteenth century was marked by many changes of rulers and forms of
government, until a monarchy was established in 1882, followed by a
constitutional monarchy in 1903. Serbia also emerged as the strongest
Balkan state at the conclusion of the First Balkan War against the Ottoman
Empire in 1912, when Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria formed an
alliance (the Balkan League) and defeated the Turks.

MODERN ERA

Fearing Serbia and her leading role in the determination to rid the
Balkans of all foreign domination, the Austro-Hungarian government
systematically pressured Serbia both politically and economically, until
the tensions between the two nations led to the events that ignited World
War I. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, chose to review
the troops in Sarajevo on St. Vitus Day, June 28, 1914—the most
sacred date of the Serbian calendar, commemorating the Battle of
Kosovo—a small secret association called "Young
Bosnia" had Gavrilo Princip, one of its members, carry out the
assassination of the Archduke and his wife. Austria, accusing Serbia of
complicity, responded with an immediate ultimatum, compliance with which
would have presented a serious threat to the sovereignty of Serbia. Having
just fought two Balkan Wars, and not wanting to get involved in another
conflict, Serbia offered a compromise. Austria rejected these terms and
declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, precipitating World War I.

Although heavily outnumbered and drained of resources from the just
concluded Balkan Wars, the Serbian army initially fought successfully
against Austria-Hungary, but the addition of the German army to the
Austrian side tipped the balance against Serbia. Eventually, the ravaged
Serbian army had to retreat through Albania toward the southern Adriatic
Sea, where the remnants were picked up by French war ships. After being
reconstituted and reequipped, this newly strengthened Serbian army broke
through the Salonika Front in late 1916, and over the next year and a half
successfully fought its way north, culminating in the recapture of
Belgrade in October of 1918. This victory significantly contributed to the
final collapse of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

The physical destruction of Serbia had been staggering, but the growing
significance of the Pan Slavic movement led to the establishment of the
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, including Bosnian Muslims and
Macedonians, later renamed Yugoslavia ("the land of the South
Slavs") by the country's king, Alexander
Karadjordjević (1888-1934).

Despite the 1934 assassination of King Alexander in Marseille, the country
prospered as a result of increased trade and growing industrialization.
This period was brought to a sudden halt by the bombing of Belgrade on
April 6, 1941, which preceded the invading armies of Nazi Germany. The
Yugoslav defenses collapsed within two weeks and the country was
dismembered. Some parts of Yugoslavia were ceded to Italy, Hungary, and
Bulgaria; the remaining areas were divided into two occupation zones: one
German, consisting of Serbia proper; the other Italian, consisting of
Montenegro and Dalmatia. In less than a week after the beginning of
hostilities, an Independent State of Croatia was established as a
satellite to the Axis Powers, headed by Ante Pavelić, the leader of
the Croat
Ustaši
(Ustashi) Party.

The government and King Peter II fled to London. Some Serbian troops
withdrew to the mountains and organized themselves as guerrillas, under
the leadership of Colonel Draža Mihailović, and became known
as the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland, or more popularly,
Četnik
(Chetnik), from the word
ceta
, meaning a small fighting group. Promoted to general and named Minister
of War by the government in exile, Mihailović's aim was to
fight alongside the Allies in order to defeat the Axis powers, to liberate
his country, and to restore democracy.

After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Yugoslav
Communists, under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, formed another
guerrilla movement, which they called the National Liberation Movement, or
Partisans. It soon became clear that the Serbs had to fight not only the
Germans, but also the Partisans and the Ustashi, who were joined by two
Muslim divisions from Bosnia. The Ustashi instituted a reign of terror
which led to a massacre of 500,000 to 700,000 Serbs, as well as 50,000
Jews and 20,000 Gypsies. To counter Mihailović's guerrilla
attacks, the Germans used reprisals against the civilian population,
taking 50 hostages for every soldier killed, and 100 for every officer;
thus, in one instance alone they executed 7,000 Serbs in a single day
(October 21, 1941) in the city of Kragujevac, including schoolchildren
driven out of their classrooms that morning.

Tito's Partisans, conducting a campaign of anti-Chetnik propaganda,
gained the support of the Allies, who withdrew their endorsement of
Mihailović's Chetniks. Operating mainly in Ustashi
territory, namely Croatia and the mountain ranges of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
the Partisans were joined by many Serbs who were attempting to escape
Ustashi terror. However, the communists did not have the support of the
Serbian population at large.

Emerging victorious at the end of the war, Tito set out to further secure
the power of the Communist Party and his own. Purging the country of its
enemies, the new government tried and executed General Draža
Mihailović. After the redrawing of the internal borders,
Tito's Yugoslavia became a federation of six republics: Serbia,
Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Makedonija, and two
autonomous provinces: Kosovo and Vojvodina, which were carved out of the
larger Serbia.

After Tito's death in 1980, Serbia was ruled by a collective
presidency until the ascension to power of Slobodan Milosevic. He became
president of Serbia in 1990 and president of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (including Serbia and Montenegro) in 1997. Under his
leadership, the country has been involved in genocidal wars against
Slovenia (1992), Croatia (1992-1993), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1996),
and Kosovo (1998-1999). From 1992 until 1999, hundreds of thousands were
killed and more than 2 million people—mostly
Albanians—became refugees in neighboring countries. The
intervention of the United Nations and NATO military forces, including 78
days of bombing Serbia in the spring of 1999, brought the Kosovo conflict
to an end. Afterward, the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague
indicted Milosevic and four of his associates as war criminals.

Montenegro, Serbia's partner in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
has a population of 650,000, about two-thirds of whom are Montenegrin
Serbs. Montenegro has adopted a pro-Western political position. During the
Kosovo crisis, 50,000 Albanians received refuge in this territory.

MAJOR IMMIGRATION WAVES

While the earliest Serbian immigrants came to the United States after
1815, the largest wave of immigration took place from 1880 to 1914. There
were arrivals between the two world wars followed by refugees and
displaced persons after World War II. Lastly, arrivals since 1965 have
included the influx resulting from current events in the former
Yugoslavia. Generally speaking, it is difficult to determine the exact
number of Serbs who came to America in the early waves of immigration
because immigration records often did not distinguish between various
Slavic and, especially, South Slavic groups. The term Slavonic was most
often used in recording immigrants from the various parts of the Eastern
Europe. Church records are more helpful in distinguishing the Serbs, for
these documents clearly state religious orientation of the parishioners.
In addition, census statistics compiled before World War I had further
confused the issue by listing immigrants by their country of origin. Thus,
the Serbs could be included with the Croats, Slovenians,
Austro-Hungarians, Turks, Bulgarians, or Romanians, or simply listed as
Yugoslavs after 1929, when the kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes
was renamed Yugoslavia. According to the 1990 U.S. Census figures, there
are 116,795 Americans of Serbian origin living in the United States. It is
impossible to tell, however, how many out of the 257,995 who in 1990
reported Yugoslavian origin actually have Serbian ancestry. It can safely
be assumed that the total number of Serbian Americans today might vary
from 200,000 to 350,000 and up to 400,000, according to some estimates. By
American standards, this is a rather small immigrant group.

The smallest numbers of Serbian immigrants came from Serbia proper. The
people there still worked large family land that formed collectives called
zadruga
, which provided enough economic stability to entice them to stay. In
addition, the emergence of Serbia as an independent nation during the
nineteenth century offered hope for more political stability.

The historical map of the Balkans in the early 1800s explains the pattern
of Serbian immigration. The Serbs who came to America at that time were
from the areas which were under the domination of either Austro-Hungarian
or the Turkish Empire.

Because the Austrian Empire was constantly subjected to Turkish invasions,
it encouraged Serbian families to settle along the frontiers dividing the
two powers, giving them land, religious, economic, and political freedom.
In exchange, the Serbs agreed to protect the border areas against the
Turks and to build fortifications in peacetime. The Austrian Emperor
Ferdinand I (1503-1564) officially recognized this agreement in 1538, and
granted self-government to the Serbian villages. In 1691 Emperor Leopold I
(1640-1705) signed the "Privilegija," a document which
granted the same rights to the Serbs who had fled to the Vojvodina region.
Thus, a number of generations of Serbs formed a "buffer
population" between the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish Empires.
Therefore, the first Serbs to leave their native land for America were
from the military frontier areas—Kordun, Krajina, Luka, Slavonija,
Vojvodina, Dalmatia, and other coastal
areas—precisely the areas where generations earlier had taken
refuge from Turkish reprisal. Serbs from Dalmatia were actually the first
ones to emigrate because of the close proximity to the sea and relative
ease of transportation offered by the steam operated ships.

Poverty and ethnic and religious persecutions were behind the decisions to
leave one's village, family, and way of life for America, whose
allure as the land of opportunity appealed to able-bodied young men. In
1869 the Austrian Emperor dissolved the age-old agreement with the
Granicaris. The Serbs felt betrayed by the Emperor, and in the words of
Michael Pupin, who came from Vojvodina, they felt "delivered to the
Hungarians," who then subjected them to a severe campaign of
Magyarization, insisting on officially use of the Hungarian language in
schools and courts, as well as seeking to convert them to Roman
Catholicism.

The greatest numbers of Serbs arrived during the peak period of
immigration to America between 1880 and 1914 from Austro-Hungarian
Croatia, Slavonia, and Vojvodina, as well as from Montenegro. Although the
overwhelming majority of Serbian immigrants were uneducated, unskilled men
in their prime working years—mostly peasants from the
countryside—they did not come to America particularly to be
farmers, and they did not intend to stay. Instead, they wanted to remain
in the United States long enough to earn money enabling them to return
home and improve the lives of their families, in keeping with a practice
called
pečalba
(pechalba). They settled in the mining areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West
Virginia, northern Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado, as
well as in the big industrial cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and
Chicago, working in steel mills and related industries. Others found works
with the major meat-packing companies in Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City,
Omaha, and St. Paul, and in the lumber industries in the Pacific
Northwest. The Serbian motto
čovek mora da radi
, "a man has to work" served them very well in this country.

Acculturation and Assimilation

It can be argued that assimilation into American life and society's
acceptance of the new immigrants was uneven at best. On the one hand, some
Serbs were impressed by the freedom and openness of the Americans as well
as by the opportunities available to all. On the other hand, late
nineteenth-century Americans, feeling threatened by the large numbers of
new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, increasingly expressed
anti-immigrant sentiment. The Immigration Restriction League founded in
Boston in 1894 attempted to achieve the curbing of this type of immigrant
tide by advocating the literacy test, which required immigrants over 16
years of age to be literate. Since the eastern and southern Europeans were
less literate than their counterparts from northern and western Europe, it
was clear where the actions of the League were going to lead. The
immigration laws from 1921 and 1924 established a national origins system
and set annual quotas for each nationality based on the percentage of the
total of that nationality already living in America. This was based on the
1890 and 1910 census, which respectively assigned a two percent and a
three percent annual quotas, or 671, and later 942, per year for all
immigrants from Yugoslavia.

The majority of the earlier Serbian immigrants endured the hardships and
found that the degree of freedom and the opportunities available to them
in America were worth staying for. However, the Great Depression of the
1930s adversely affected the old Serbian immigrant communities.
Discouraged, many returned to their homeland.

The immigrants who arrived after 1945 were refugees from World War II.
Among their numbers were former army officers and soldiers who had either
been prisoners of war or attached to the Allied Forces; people deported to
Nazi Germany as slave-laborers; and supporters of General
Mihailović during the Civil War who fled following the communist
takeover. Many Serbs, therefore, found a new home in America under the
Displaced Persons Act of 1948 and the Refugee Relief Act of 1953.

The differences between this wave of Serbian immigration and the previous
ones are substantial. The new immigrants came mainly from the urban areas
in Serbia proper rather than the rural areas outside Serbia; they came for
political reasons rather than economic reasons, and tended to see
themselves as emigres rather than immigrants; they were on the whole
highly educated members of the middle and upper classes, many among them
had considerable social status, and they came to join already well
established Serbian communities. Politically minded, many also saw this
country as a safehouse in which to develop strategic operations in
opposition to the Yugoslav communist state, rather than a new homeland.

Recent immigration resulting from the economic and political failures of
the communist system reverts to being motivated by the economy once again,
but does not offer the sense of cohesiveness experienced by earlier
groups. Until the

Jelena Mladenovic lights a candle during the Orthodox Easter service
at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in New York.

dissolution of Yugoslavia beginning in 1991, the newest immigrants had
come and gone freely between America and Serbia. Some worked for American
companies, some for Yugoslav companies in the United States, and many,
after staying abroad for a number of years went back to Yugoslavia with
hard currency and marketable skills.

In America, the Serbian churches maintain parish Sunday schools where
children learn the language, customs, and traditions of their ancestors.
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese at the St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville,
Illinois, runs a summer camp as well as the parish school. The children of
immigrants have mostly attended public schools, and in the early days it
was often the case that these children were the only source of information
about American culture and history for Serbian adults.

ORGANIZATIONS

In the early stages of Serbian immigration, fraternal mutual aid societies
and insurance companies preceded the church as the centers of Serbian
American community life. These were formed for economic reasons, as the
new arrivals needed to find ways to protect themselves against the hazards
of dangerous and life-threatening work in mines, foundries, or factories.
In the early years the Serbs readily joined other Slavic groups, such as
the Slavonic Benevolent Organization founded in San Francisco in 1857,
which served all South Slavs.

In time, Serbian immigrants formed their own organizations, starting as
local groups, lodges, assemblies, and societies whose goals were the
preservation of culture, social welfare, and fraternal sentiment. The
first such organization was the Srpsko Crnogorsko Literarno i Dobrotvorno
Društvo (Serbian-Montenegrin Literary and Benevolent Society)
founded in San Francisco in 1880, then Srpsko Jedinstvo (Serbian Unity) in
Chicago in 1894. Other societies followed and began to form federations,
such as the Srpsko Crnogorski Savez (Serbian-Montenegrin Federation) whose
headquarters were in Butte, Montana, and which ceased to exist because
most of its members left to fight in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and in
World War I.

In the eastern section of the United States, eight Serbian lodges, which
were part of the Russian

Jim Pigford proof reads the pages of the
Amerikanski Srbobran
newspaper being published in Pittsburgh. It is the oldest Serbian
newspaper in the United States.

Orthodox Society, formed their own organization in McKeesport,
Pennsylvania, in 1901. Originally called Srpki Pravoslavni
Savez-"Srbobran" (Serbian Orthodox
Federation-"Srbobran"), it became known in 1929 as Srpski
Narodni Savez (Serbian National Federation, SNF), when other organizations
joined it, such as Savez Sjedinjenih Srba-Sloga (Federation of United
Serbs-"Concord"). The last organization to join this
federation was Srpski Potporni Savez-"Jedinstvo" (Serbian
Benevolent Federation-"Unity") from Cleveland, Ohio, in
1963. The events around this merger produced an atmosphere of
"politicking," which provided the Serbian American
communities with an
arena all their own, and although somewhat outside from the mainstream of
American political life, it served to reinforce their Serbian identity.

The SNF, whose headquarters were and still are in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, was first an insurance organization, evolving into the
single most important Serbian organization. Its founder, Sava Hajdin, said
at one point: "We never wished our federation to be only the
association of benevolent societies. We wished it to be the matrix of
Serbianism in America and the bastion of the idea of St. Sava."
Indeed, the humanitarian side of its work included the cooperation with
other organizations to provide aid to Serbia during both world wars. After
the war, the federation sent relief to refugees and prisoners of war, and
sponsored thousands of new immigrants.

On the cultural level, since 1906 the SNF has been publishing its weekly
bilingual newspaper, "Amerikanski Srbobran;" it provides
scholarships and maintains a fund for printing and free distribution of
Serbian primers, used by young people to learn the language of their
ancestors. It sponsors well-attended events, such as tournaments for
soccer, tennis, golf, and bowling, as well as a three-day "Serbian
Days" celebration each summer. In the last decade or so it has been
actively raising funds for the building of St. Sava Cathedral on Vrachar
Hill in Belgrade, and lastly, it is very much involved in providing
humanitarian help in the latest conflict.

The oldest and largest Serbian patriotic organization is the Srpska
Narodna Odbrana (Serbian National Defense). Organized in 1914 in New York
by Michael Pupin, it recruited volunteers for World War I, and also sent
large monetary aid to Serbia. Inactive in the 1920s and 1930s, the
organization was revived during World War II by the great Serbian poet and
diplomat-in-exile, Jovan Dučić (1871-1943). Declaring its
support for the Cetniks of General Mihailović, who instituted a
campaign of guerrilla warfare in Yugoslavia, the SND began a radio program
in Chicago, and published the periodical
American Serb
from 1944-48.

After the war the SND sent food and relief supplies to thousands of Serbs
dispersed in various displaced persons camps, and provided scholarships to
Serbian students. In cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Diocese and
Srpska Bratska Pomoć (Serbian Fraternal Aid) the SND brought
thousands of displaced persons to America. Much to their chagrin, the
sponsors discovered that the new immigrants were politically very much at
odds with each other, and soon the ill effects were felt in the
organization. Attempts were made to bring back some unity, and in 1947 the
SND sponsored an All-Serb Congress in Chicago. The Serbian National
Committee was formed, headed by Konstantin Fotić (Constantin
Fotich) the former Yugoslav Ambassador to the United States. Another
conference was held in Akron, Ohio, in 1949, during which the Serbian
National Council was formed. The highly respected Bishop Nikolaj
Velimirović, himself a refugee, attended, but failed to end the
discord. In the 1960s the then president of the organization, Dr.
Uroš Seffer (Urosh Seferovich), and his followers sided with Bishop
Dionisije's autonomous Serbian church, while the supporters of the
church in Belgrade organized their own American Serbian National Defense.
Srpska Narodna Odbrana survived this turmoil and still publishes
Sloboda (Liberty)
.

Women's organizations among Serbian Americans are various groups of
sisterhoods known as Kolo Srpskih Sestara, or Serbian Sisters Circles.
They were organized in the beginning of the twentieth century in
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Chicago. The federation of Circles of Serbian
Sisters was formed in 1945 when representatives of more than thirty
sisterhoods met in Libertyville, Illinois. They are active in fundraising
activities and support children's camps and charities. Being
closely associated with the Serbian church, they, unfortunately, were
affected by the schism in the church.

ART AND POPULAR CULTURE

Music is a very important role in the Serbian American community. The
early Serbian immigrants from the Military Frontier areas brought with
them their native mandolin-like string instrument called a tamburica
(tamburitza), which varies in five different sizes and ranges. George
Kachar, one of the first teachers of tamburitza in America, brought the
love for his music from his homeland to a small mining town in Colorado,
where he taught during the 1920s. His most remarkable students were four
Popovich brothers who later became famous as the Popovich Brothers of
South Chicago. Having started by traveling from community to community,
they gained prominence by delighting Serbian American audiences for sixty
years with their art, while also achieving national recognition by
appearances at the White House and by participating in the "Salute
to Immigrant Cultures" during the Statue of Liberty celebrations
held in 1986.

During the annual Tamburitza Extravaganza Festival, as many as twenty
bands from around the country perform for three days, with performers
undoubtedly vying for the Tamburitza Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri.
The new students and performers are actively recruited and trained by the
Duquesne University Tamburitzans, which maintains a folklore institute,
grants scholarships for promising students, and makes good use of the
enthusiasm generously shared by the junior team called
"Tammies." A few active tamburitza manufacturers in the
United States continue to assure an adequate supply of this favorite
instrument.

The immigrants who came to America after World War II brought in a
different style of music performed on accordions. Drums, keyboards, and
the amplified modern instruments came into use in the last few decades.
These musical groups mostly play the newly composed folk music, which
combines traditional instruments, melodies, and styles with modern
instruments, lyrics, and production techniques. Generally speaking, be
they older or newer immigrants, the Serbs sing of love and death, of
parting and hope, of the tragedy that accompanied them throughout their
history, and of the heroic deeds that helped them triumph over adversity.
One of the most beloved and nostalgic songs is
Tamo deleko
, "There Far Away," referring to the distance of the
homeland.

Serbian American choirs, performing mainly at social functions, were
formed early on, such as the Gorski Vijenac (Mountain Wreath) Choir in
Pittsburgh in 1901, and the Branko Radičević Choir in
Chicago in 1906. There were no church choirs in the early part of the
twentieth century, until Vladimir Lugonja (1898-1977) founded the Serbian
Singing Foundation of the USA and Canada (SSF) in 1931 as an antidote to
the Great Depression. Many choirs joined in, connected with the church
parishes, and totaled thirty by World War II. Their membership in the
federation was contingent on their singing in church. Since 1935, the
federation has been sponsoring annual concerts and competitions where both
secular and liturgical music are performed. A number of Serbian priests
have come from the ranks of the SSF; many are well known directors and
conductors such as Adam Popovich, Director of South Chicago's
SLOBODA. A respected veteran of the Serbian American choir movement,
Popovich and his choir performed at the White House for Dwight D.
Eisenhower's presidential inauguration.

The
gusle
, another symbol of Serbianism, is a string instrument similar to a
violin. Gusle musicians have used it since the earliest days of the
Serbian kingdom in accompanying the chanting of epic poetry. Although this
instrument is capable of rendering only a few melancholy notes, the
guslar
, or bard, manages to evoke myriad emotions. During the Ottoman period of
Serbian history the
guslari
traveled from village to village bringing news and keeping alive ancient
Serbian heroic epics and ballads, which played a role of utmost importance
in the development and preservation of the Serbian national conscience and
character.

The
kolo
, meaning the circle, is the Serbian national dance, and by extention the
Serbian American dance. Danced in a circle as well in a single line, the
dancers hold each other's hands or belts, and no one, from
teenagers to grandparents, can resist the lively tunes and sprightly
motions. A good number of folk dancing ensembles throughout America has
kept alive the rich repertoire of folk dancing, and it is difficult to
imagine any kind of Serbian celebrations without a performance of one such
ensemble.

CUISINE

Serbian cuisine over the centuries has adopted the tastes and flavors of
the Middle Eastern, Turkish, Hungarian, and Austrian foods. Roast suckling
pig and lamb are still very much appreciated and served on festive
occasions. Serbs are also fond of casserole dishes with or without meat;
pies (consisting of meat, cheese, or fruit); all kinds of fried foods, and
an assortment of cakes, cookies, and condiments that rival the displays in
Vienna and Budapest.

A few representative dishes would be
šarma
, stuffed cabbage, made from leaves of sour cabbage, or from wine leaves,
and chopped beef or veal, often in combination with chopped pork, onions,
smoked meat for added flavor; Serbs especially appreciate
gibanjica
, or
pita gibanjica
, a cheese pie made with feta or cottage cheese (an American substitute
for the cheese used in the homeland), or the combination of both, butter,
filo pastry leaves, eggs, and milk.
Čevapčići
, the summer time favorite for cook-outs, are small barbecued sausage-like
pieces, prepared from a combination of freshly chopped pork, lamb, veal,
and beef, and served with raw onions.

Serbs like to drink wine, beer, and especially the plum brandy called
šljivovica
, which is the national drink, made from
šljiva
, or plums, the Serbian national fruit. Another word for šljivovica
is
rakija
, which is once-distilled plum brandy; twice-distilled šljivovica
is called
prepečenica
. Serbs drink at all kinds of celebrations: weddings, baptisms, and krsna
slavas; and every raised glass is accompanied with the exclamation:
Živeli
, or "Live long." It is not surprising that many Serbs found
California to be the perfect place for continuing the family tradition of
growing grapes to produce wine, or plums for šljivovica.

TRADITIONAL COSTUMES

Serbian traditional clothing consists of richly embroidered, colorful
garments, which are worn today only by the dancers in the folkloric dance
ensembles, or perhaps at other events inspired by folk motives, such as
picnics, harvests, or church festivals. Each region has its own particular
motives and ways of wearing these costumes, making it easy to discern one
from another. The typical costume for women from Serbia proper consists of
a fine linen blouse richly embroidered with floral or folk motifs; a vest
called a
jelek
, cut low under the breast, made of velvet, embroidered with silver and
gold thread, and worn tightly around the waist; an ample colorful skirt
accompanied by an embroidered apron and a white linen petticoat worn
longer than the skirt to show off the hand-crocheted lace; knitted and
embroidered stockings; and a pair of handmade leather slipper-like
footwear called
opanci
. The hair is long and braided; the braids are sometimes worn down the
back or twisted in a bun around the head.

The costume for men consists of a head cap called a
šajkača
, a white linen shirt, a wool jacket, and pants (The jacket is short with
sober decorations and the pants are worn tight around the knees.) A richly
decorated sash is tied around the waist. Knitted and embroidered socks and
opanci
(leather shoes) are worn on the feet. The fabrics used were always
homegrown, spun, or woven, and the costumes were made at home. The early
immigrants stood out in an American crowd by the way their clothes looked,
which provided an easy target for ridicule. Today, these costumes have
given way to standard dress, and if still in existence, are brought out
only at folk festivals.

Language

The Serbian language is part of the Slavic language group to which belong
Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian, and
Macedonian. In the seventh century two Greek missionaries, Cyril and
Methodius, created the Slavic alphabet, called the Cyrillic, which is
still used by the Russians, Serbs, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, and
Macedonians. The Old Slavonic, or Staroslovenski, was the original
literary language of all the Slavs. It evolved into the Church Slavonic,
or Crkvenoslovenski, which in turn engendered the Serb Church Slavonic,
the Serb literary language up until the nineteenth century.

In the early nineteenth century Vuk Srefanović Karadjić
(1787-1864), who become known as the father of the "modern"
Serbian language, reconstructed the alphabet to conform it phonetically
with the oral language, thus recognizing the spoken language as the
literary language; this resulted in reawakening Serbian culture in
general. He published the first Serbian dictionary in 1818, and collected
and published volumes of epic and lyrical poetry that had survived in the
oral tradition in the Serbian countryside. His voluminous correspondence
is an important political and literary document.

Immigrants were confronted with the modification of their language as it
came into contact with English, resulting in the incorporation of many
English words into everyday use, especially those that were needed to
communicate in a more complex society and did not exist in their rural
vocabulary. Another American influence can be seen in the fact that many
immigrants changed their names for simplification. Often the changing of
names was done by either the immigration officers at the time of entry
into the United States, or by the employers at the factories or mines who
were not accustomed to dealing with complicated Slavic names. At other
times, the immigrants themselves opted for simple American names, either
for business reasons, or to escape being a target for ridicule. Also, some
changes were the result of the immigrants' desire to show loyalty
to their adopted country; thus, the names were either simply
translated—Ivan into John, Ivanović into Johnson—or
the diacritical marks over the letters "ć" and the
"š" were dropped and replaced by English-sounding
equivalents such as Sasha for Saša and Simich for Simić.
About 25 percent of all Serbian Americans declared Serbian as their mother
tongue in the 1990 U.S. census.

Family and Community Dynamics

Although Serbian immigrants tended to live in closely knit, homogeneous
colonies, they were never so totally isolated as to prevent any
penetration of American influence, and that interaction inevitably led to
changes in many aspects of their lives. Their children and grandchildren
only rarely adhere to the old ways, and as a result the immigrant heritage
becomes a strange mixture of old-country and American cultural elements.

In their homeland the immigrants had been primarily farmers; all the
family members lived together in a
zadruga
, a large family cooperative where everyone worked on the family land,
maintaining strong family ties, as well as observing a strict hierarchical
order from the head of the
zadruga
, called
strarešina
, down to the youngest child. In America, each family member's
occupation could be different, leading to less interdependence among the
family members, without, however, destroying the closeness of family ties.
To a great extent Serbian and Serbian American households still include
grandparents, or other elderly relatives needing care and help. It is also
a common practice to have grandparents care for the young children while
the parents are working, as well as take charge of housekeeping in
general. Elderly parents (or close relatives) live out their lives at home
surrounded by their children and grandchildren. The structure of a typical
Serbian American family also retains close relationships with the extended
family—aunts, uncles, and cousins—going back a few
generations, thus placing emphasis on strong emotional ties as well as
offering a good family support system.

Religion

The Serbs accepted Christianity in the ninth century due to the work of
the two Greek brothers, missionaries from Salonika, Cyril and Methodius,
also called "Apostles of the Slavs." Since that time, and
especially since the 1219 establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Autonomous
church by King Stefan Prvovencani, the Serbs have strongly identified
their religion with their ethnic heritage.
Srpstvo
, or being Serbian, expresses this concept of the Serbian identity as
encompassing the nation, its historic heritage, church, language, and
other cultural traditions. Serbian communal life in the United States
mainly evolved and, to a large degree, still revolves around the church
parish.

Orthodoxy, which means "correct worship," partly differs
from other Christian practices in that priests are allowed to marry and in
its use of the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian
calendar. Thus, for example, the Serbs celebrate Christmas on January 7th
instead of December 25th.

Serbian churches, both in America and in the homeland, feature the Altar,
a carved Iconostasis, and richly painted icons. A pedestal called
Nalonj
, placed at a respectable distance from the altar, is used to exhibit the
icon of the Saint the particular church is named after, and upon entering
the church everyone stops there to make the sign of the cross and kiss the
icon.

The first Serbian churches in America were established in Jackson,
California, in 1893, followed by McKeesport, Pennsylvania (1901), and
Steelton, Pennsylvania (1903). At that time all Serbian churches were
under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox church, although served by
Serbian priests. The first American-born Serbian Orthodox priest, the
Reverend Sebastian Dabovich (1863-1940), the son of a Serbian pioneer in
California, was appointed head of the Serbian mission in the United States
by the Patriarch in Moscow in 1905.

In 1919 a separate Serbian Orthodox Diocese in North America and Canada
was created under the leadership of the Reverend Mardary Uskokovich (d.
1935), who later became the first bishop of the new Diocese, establishing
his seat in Libertyville, Illinois, in 1927. From 1940 to 1963 the Diocese
was headed by Bishop Dionisije Milivojević. During World War II the
Diocese was instrumental in arranging for the immigration of refugees, as
well as placing refugee priests. The Diocese published the first English
language Serbian newspaper, the
Serbian Orthodox Herald
. In 1949 the Clergy Association of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of the
United States and Canada formed their united headquarters in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Orthodoxy
was their official publication.

In 1963 the Serbian Diocese of North America suffered a painful schism and
split into two groups: one wanted an independent Serbian Orthodox church
in America; the other insisted on keeping the alliance with the Patriarchy
in Belgrade. The immigrant community became bitterly divided. The old
settlers felt that the primary role of the church was to uphold Orthodoxy
and to maintain the spiritual life in the communities, while the newer
immigrants saw the need to defend themselves against the Communist threat.

The church remains divided, although it officially reconciled during the
Holy Liturgy jointly celebrated on February 15, 1992, by the Patriarch
Pavle of Belgrade and the Metropolitan Irinej, the head of the Free Church
in America, whose seat is in New Gracancia (Third Lake, Illinois). The two
contending factions have worked on a new church constitution, a document
expected to be administratively complete in 1995 and intended to seal the
reunification.

The two most important religious holidays of the year for Serbian
Americans are
Božić
(Christmas), and
Uskrs
(Easter). Both are celebrated for three days. Bozich starts with
Tucindan
(two days before Christmas) when a young pig is prepared to be barbecued
for Christmas dinner, or
Božićna večera
. On the day before Christmas—called
Badnji
Dan
—the
badnjak
, or Yule Log, is placed outside the house, and the
pečenica
, or roasted pig, is prepared. In the evening straw is placed under the
table to represent the manger, the Yule log is cut and brought in for
burning, and the family gathers for a Lenten Christmas Eve dinner.
Božićni Post
, the Christmas Lenten, is observed for six weeks prior to Christmas,
during which a diet without milk, dairy products, meat, or eggs is
maintained. This strict observance is practiced by fewer people today, as
most are willing to fast only for a week prior to Christmas.

On Christmas Day,
česnica
, a round bread, is baked from wheat flour. A coin placed inside the bread
brings good luck throughout the year to the person who finds it. The
family goes to church early on Christmas Day, and upon return home the
most festive meal of the year is served. The father lights a candle and
incense, and says a prayer. The family turns the
česnica
from left to right and sings the Christmas hymn
Rozdestvo Tvoje
, which glorifies the birth of Christ. The cesnica is broken and each
member of the family receives a piece, leaving one portion for an
unexpected guest. Each person kisses the person next to him three times
with the greeting
Hristos se rodi
, "Christ is born," and receives in reply
Vaistinu se rodi
, "Indeed He is born."

In America, the burning of the
badnjak
is done at church after Christmas Eve mass, and an elaborate Lenten
Christmas Eve dinner is served in the parish hall for those who wish to
participate.

Traditionally, three Sundays before Christmas are dedicated to the family:
Detinjci
, the Children's Day;
Materice
, the Mother's Day; and
Očevi
, Father's Day. On each of these days the celebrants are tied to an
object and their release is obtained with a gift.

Uskrs
(Easter), is considered the holiest of holidays, and is celebrated from
Good Friday to Easter Sunday. A seven-week Lenten period is observed, also
without fish, meat, eggs, milk, or dairy products, which is practiced
today in altered fashion as well.
Vrbica
, or Palm Sunday, is observed on the last Sunday before Easter when the
willow branches are blessed and distributed to all present. This service
is rendered especially beautiful and significant by the presence of
children, dressed in fine new clothes worn for the first time, with little
bells hanging from their necks on Serbian tricolor ribbons—red,
blue, and white—waiting for the whole congregation to start an
outside procession encircling the church three times.

Easter celebrations cannot be conceived without roasted lamb and colored
eggs. The eggs symbolize spring and the renewal of the life cycle as well
as
Vaskrsenje
, the Easter Resurrection. Each color as well as each design has a
specific meaning in this age old folk art form of egg decorating.

The Easter Mass is the most splendid one. The doors of the iconostasis,
which remained closed until the symbolic moment of
Hristovo Voskresenje
, or "Christ's Resurrection," open wide; the church
bells ring, and the priest dressed in his gold vestments steps forward.
The congregation sings a hymn of rejoicing, and a procession led by the
banner of Resurrection encircles the church three times while the
worshippers carry lit candles. The greetings
Hristos voskrese
, "Christ has risen," and
Vaistinu voskrese
, "He has risen indeed," are exchanged three times.

The most important Serbian tradition is the yearly observance of
Krsna Slava
, the Patron Saint's Day. This uniquely Serbian religious holiday,
reminiscent of the prehistoric harvest festivals, is celebrated once a
year in commemoration of the family's conversion to Christianity,
when each family chose its patron saint, which derived from the custom of
worshipping protective spirits. Passing from father to son, this joyous
holiday is observed with friends and family enjoying sumptuous foods,
often with music and dancing as well. The central elements which enhance
the solemnity of
Krsna Slava
are:
slavska sveca
, a long candle which must burn all day; the votive light lit in front of
the icon representing the picture of the family patron saint; and incense
burning. Two foods are specially prepared:
koljivo
, or sometimes called
zito
, made with boiled wheat, sugar, and ground nuts; and
krsni kolač
, which is a ritual round bread baked solely for this occasion. It is
decorated with dough replicas of birds, wheat, grapes, barrels of wine, or
whatever else an inspired mother of the family can think of, aside from
the obligatory religious seal representing the cross and the symbolic four
S's:
Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava
, "Only Unity Will Save the Serbs." The priest visits the
homes and conducts a ceremony in which the
kolač
is raised three times symbolizing the Holy Trinity. He and the head of
the family cut a cross on the bottom of the kolač into which a
little wine is poured to symbolize the blood of Christ.

Every year on June 28 the Serbs commemorate
Vidovdan
, or Saint Vitus Day. One of the most sacred holidays, it commemorates a
defeat on June 28, 1389, when the Serbs led by Czar Lazar lost their
kingdom to the Turks in the Battle of Kosovo Polje (Field of Blackbirds).
The heroism and death of Czar Lazar and his Martyrs who died that day for
krst casni i zlatnu slobodu
, or the "venerable cross and golden freedom," is
commemorated in epic songs and celebrated each year by churches and
communities across America. The Serbs might be the only people who
celebrate a disastrous defeat as a national holiday, but what they are
really celebrating is the
ability to withstand adversity. For the last 600 years the Serbs have
maintained the tradition of respecting their ancestors for living out the
old proverb
bolje grob nego rob
, or "better a grave than a slave." To Serbs in America and
in the homeland Kosovo Polje is a sacred national site.

Kumstvo
, or godparenthood, is another tradition deeply embedded in the Serbian
culture. The parents of an unborn child choose a
kum
or a
kuma
(a man or a woman to be a godparent), who names the baby at the baptismal
ceremony. The godparents also have the responsibility of ensuring the
moral and material well being of the child if need be, and are considered
very close family.

Some customs are remnants of pagan days and were inspired by the closeness
with nature: in June, when daisies are abloom in the fields, young girls
of marrying age make wreaths that they hang outside their houses. A young
man confesses his love by taking the wreath away, leaving the young woman
to hope that it should only be the right one. The
dodola
, or the rain dance, is another example; a young girl dressed in flowers,
plants, and grasses, goes from house to house singing a prayerful chant,
which is supposed to bring rain. Helpful housewives drench her with
buckets of water and small gifts.

Beliefs derived from superstitions are many, such as: a black cat crossing
the road in front of a person will bring bad luck; a horse in a dream will
bring good luck; black birds are a bad omen; an itching left palm presages
money.

Employment and Economic Traditions

Although historically Serbs have placed high value on education, early
immigrants were largely illiterate or had very little education, due to
their circumstances living under Turkish occupation. In America, they
worked, as already stated, in predominantly heavy industrial areas. In
time, they began to attend evening English-language classes offered by the
adult-education programs in public schools, which proved to be enormously
valuable to them, and especially to their children.

The younger generations took an increased interest in education, and
slowly began to break away from the factory jobs and move to white-collar
occupations. In recent decades the Serbs have gone on to higher education.
Although Serbian American professionals can be found in nearly every
American industry, a great many tend to opt for engineering, medicine,
law, or other professions. Lately, however, more and more young people are
attracted by financial service industries, such as banking, insurance, and
stock brokerage. Boys and girls are educated alike, and everyone is free
to set career goals to his or her own liking. The number of women in
professions traditionally held by men, especially medicine and
engineering, is very high among Serbs.

Politics and Government

Although their participation in American political life has evolved
slowly, Serbs have demonstrated a great deal of fervor for politics.
Generally speaking, most Serbian Americans are more likely to be concerned
with the government's policies and attitude toward Yugoslavia than
in local politics.

World War I was the turning point in political activities and unity with
other Slavic groups, and, again, such activities had more to do with the
politics in the homeland rather than in America. President Woodrow Wilson
encouraged Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian leaders in America to meet and
call for the union of the South Slavs then within the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, and for the unification with Serbia in an independent Serbian
kingdom. The creation of the Yugoslav National Council resulted, its
purpose being to inform and influence the American people, as well as to
recruit for war and raise money. Thousands of south Slavs joined either
the Serbian army or the American army, and thousands of Serbian emigrants
returned from the United States to fight for Serbia.

Of the many immigrants who arrived in the United States after 1945, many
were very politically engaged and considered America as a base for
pursuing political goals related to Yugoslavia. A number of political
organizations were formed to reflect the differing views carried over from
the mother country concerning the new regime and the affiliations with
particular groups during World War II. After 1945, most of the large
numbers of newcomers who joined the Serbian American community in America
were Chetniks. Forming political organizations they continued their fight
against Tito's communist dictatorship as best they could. Another
faction, albeit much smaller in numbers, was an ultra right-wing group
called Ljotićevci, party that was founded by Dimitrije
Ljotić (d. 1945). These two groups polarized the attention of the
Serbian American immigrants and heightened political awareness among
Serbian American communities.

Many older immigrants felt overwhelmed and bewildered by the number of
factions and their nuances. Some were alienated, and even others fell
victim to the communist infiltration and propaganda. However, the vast
majority of both the older immigrants and those who arrived after 1945
remain loyal to the American ideals of freedom and liberty.

Many men and women of Serbian descent who have joined the mainstream of
American politics today as mayors, governors, and senators have testified
to the fact that a degree of "American" political maturity
has been reached by this ethnic group in spite of its still intense
identification with their motherland, as exemplified by Rose Ann Vuich,
the first woman senator from California in 1976.

Given the Serbian penchant for politics, the political issues of the
former Yugoslavia have always been and are still being passionately
debated among Serbian Americans. Political issues in the Balkans have
always been a matter of life and death for the Serbs, who after a
flourishing independence in the late Middle Ages, survived centuries of
subjugation and, since the early 1800s, have gradually succeeded in the
fight for freedom and the unification of their homeland.

The current conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which brought about a new
period of intense political activity among Serbian Americans, was prompted
by the premature recognition of the independence of Slovenia, Croatia, and
Bosnia-Herzegovina, first by most of the member-states of the European
community, and then by the United States on April 7, 1992. The Serbs in
Croatia's Krajina Region, who had been turned into a minority by
the declaration of independence on the part of Croatia, voted to secede
from Croatia in 1991. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, they expressed their wishes
not to live in minority status among the Muslims by boycotting the
referendum for Bosnian independence held in late February 1992. They had
reasons to fear for their lives again, because having sided with the Axis
Powers during World War II, the fascist Croat Ustashi and their Muslim
allies had conducted the systematic extermination of the Serbs. The
Nazi-puppet Independent State of Croatia instituted death camps, among
which Jasenovac is the most well known.

In Croatia, the resurgence of the old Nazi-Croat symbols at the onset of
the conflict, including the use of the Fascist Ustashi flag, the renaming
of streets and squares, blatant antisemitism, and the renaming of the
national currency to "kuna," which was the currency's
name during the Nazi period, are reminders of a painful and not too
distant past.

These facts, coupled with the unilateral 1992 declaration of independence
of Bosnia against the wishes of the Serbian minority, which represented
approximately one-third of the population, effectively turning them for a
second time into second class citizens after 500 years of Turkish/Muslim
domination, and reviving the memories of persecutions during World War II,
have politically galvanized the Serbian American community in the last
several years.

Once again, the Serbian American community is at great odds with the
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević, and to a large
degree, and for the first time, with the U.S. government, which they
perceive to be one-sided. The Serbs in America are now deeply
disappointed, for not only have they shared American principles of freedom
and justice for many centuries, but they, unlike the Croats and Bosnian
Muslims, have fought with Americans and their allies through two world
wars.

MILITARY

The degree of participation of Serbian Americans in the armed forces, as
well as in the intelligence community, is high. During the World War I
thousands of American Serbs went to Serbia, an ally, to fight, while
others established a number of humanitarian organizations to send help
abroad. The response was overwhelming during World War II as well. A large
number distinguished themselves in battle and some were awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor.

Many Serbian Americans had distinguished careers in the military, such as
Colonel Nicholas Stepanovich, U.S. Army, who had a brilliant career as a
lawyer and military leader and was appointed by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower to the U.S. ambassadorial staff to the United Nations; Colonel
Tyrus Cobb, U.S. Army, who served in Vietnam both in war and in peace
missions. The recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Colonel
Cobb was appointed to the National Security Council and was selected by
President Ronald Reagan to accompany him on summits to Geneva, Moscow, and
Iceland. Many other Serbian Americans served in the Office of Strategic
Services (later known as the Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]), including
Nick Lalich, George Vujnovic, and Joe Veselinovich. The Vietnam War and
the Persian Gulf War have also claimed Serbian American decorated heroes
as well, such as Lance Sijan, for whom a building is named at the U.S. Air
Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

LABOR UNIONS

The labor movement and the labor unions in America found some of their
staunchest supporters among the Serbs. Having worked very hard to earn
their living
and having given strength and youth to their new homeland, they felt, as
many other Americans did, that strong unions presented opportunities to
rectify many poor work situations. They were active with the United Mine
Workers of America, the American Federation of Labor, the Congress of
Industrial Organizations, and the Textile Workers Union of America, among
others. The contributions of the Serbs to the labor movement are numerous,
as exemplified by Eli Zivkovich, who organized the story of the
unionization of textile workers in North Carolina as depicted in the film
Norma Rae.

Related to the labor movement and union organizing is the work done by
Serbian Americans in the field of labor laws as exemplified by the
tireless efforts of Robert Lagather, an attorney. The son of a mine worker
and a miner himself as a young man, Lagather had a deep commitment to
improving the working conditions in the mines, and the role he played in
the Federal Mine and Safety and Health Act of 1977 testifies to his
determination and dedication.

Individual and Group Contributions

The contributions of Serbian Americans were best summarized by Jerome
Kisslinger: "[From] the Louisiana oyster fishermen of the 1830s and
the California innkeeper of the 1850s to the Pittsburgh steel worker of
1910, the political refugee of the 1950s and the engineer today, Serbians
have proved themselves to be more than a colorful fringe on our (American)
social fabric—they are woven into its very fiber."

ACADEMIA

Political science professor Alex N. Dragnich (1912– ) served in the
Office of Strategic Services during World War II and as the Cultural
Attache and Public Affairs Officer in the American Embassy in Yugoslavia.
Dragnich wrote extensively on Serbian subjects; his latest publication is
entitled
Serbs and Croats: The Struggle in Yugoslavia
(1992).

FILM, TELEVISION, AND THEATER

Actor Karl Malden (born Mladen Sekulovich in 1913) received an Academy
Award for his performance in
A Streetcar Named Desire
in 1951 and was nominated for a second Oscar in 1954 for his work in
On the Waterfront
. Malden is best known for his starring role in the television series
"The Streets of San Francisco," and for his series of
television commercials for American Express.

Actor John Malkovich (1954– ) founded the Steppenwolf Theatre
Company in Chicago. An accomplished film actor as well, Malkovich appeared
in such films as
Dangerous Liaisons
,
In the Line of Fire
, and
Places in the Heart
, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

Steve Tesich (born Stoyan Tesich in 1942) is a well-known screenwriter,
playwright, and novelist who received an Academy Award for Best Screenplay
in 1979 for
Breaking Away
. His other screenplays include
Eleni, The World According to Garp,
and
Passing Game
.

LITERATURE

Novelist and publishing executive William (Iliya) Jovanovich (1920–
) has written many works, including
Now, Barabbas
(1964),
Madmen Must
(1978), and
A Slow Suicide
(1991). Jovanovich is also the president and chief executive officer of
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Poet and translator Charles Simic (1938– ) was awarded the 1990
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection,
The World Doesn't End
.

POLITICS

Born in 1795 as Djordje Sagić in a Serbian settlement in western
Hungary, George Fisher came to America in 1815, having agreed to become a
bond servant upon his arrival. He jumped ship at the mouth of Delaware
River in order to escape his pledge, and was named Fisher by the
bystanders who watched him swim ashore. He then wandered from Pennsylvania
to Mississippi to Mexico and eventually to Texas, where he joined in the
battle for independence from Mexico; helped to organize the first supreme
court of the republic; and held a number of positions in the Texas state
government. Fisher also published a liberal Spanish-language newspaper. In
1851 he went to Panama, and from there to San Francisco. While in
California he served as secretary of the land commission, justice of the
peace, county judge. He finished his wandering and wondrous life as the
council for Greece in 1873.

Awarded the GOP Woman of the Year Award in 1972, Helen Delich Bently
(1923– ) is currently a congresswoman from Maryland. Rose Ann
Vuich, served in the California State Senate from 1976 to 1992 and
received the Democrat of the Year Award in 1975. Joyce George
(1936– ), attorney and politician, was appointed U.S. Attorney from
the
Northern District of Ohio by President George Bush in 1989.

SCIENCE

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), "the electrical wizard,"
astonished the world with his demonstration of the wonders of alternating
current at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893; in the first
half of the twentieth century, this became the standard method of
generating electrical power. Tesla also designed the first hydro-electric
power plant in Niagara Falls, New York. Having introduced the fundamentals
of robotry, fluorescent light, the laser beam, wireless communication and
transmission of electrical energy, the turbine and vertical take-off
aircraft, computers, and missile science, Tesla was possibly the greatest
inventor the world has ever known. His work spawned technology such as
satellites, beam weapons, and nuclear fusion.

Michael Idvorsky Pupin's (1858-1935) scientific contributions in
the field of radiology include rapid X-ray photography (1896), which cut
the usual hour-long exposure time to seconds; the discovery of the
secondary X-ray radiation; and the development of the first X-ray picture
used in surgery. His other interests covered the field of
telecommunications. The "Pupin coil," which uses alternate
current, made long distance telephone lines and cables possible. He also
invented the means to eliminate static from radio receivers as well the
tuning devises for radios. Pupin successfully experimented with sonar
U-boat detectors and underwater radars, as well as the passage of
electricity through gases. In addition to his scientific contributions,
Pupin was a prominent Serbian patriot. He tirelessly campaigned on behalf
of Serbia during World War I. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography
From Immigrant to Inventor
(1925) Pupin stated: "[I] brought to America something ... which I
valued very highly, and that was: a knowledge of and a profound respect
and admiration for the best traditions of my race ... no other lesson had
ever made a deeper impression upon me." The Pupin Institute at
Columbia University was founded in his memory.

Milan Panić (1929– ) founded ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in
Pasadena, California. At one time his company employed 6,000 people, with
sales of over $150 million. In 1992 Panić served as the Prime
Minister of Yugoslavia.

SPORTS

Professional basketball player Pete Maravich (1948-1987) was perhaps best
known as "Pistol Pete" Maravich.

VISUAL ARTS

John David Brčin (1899-1982) was a sculptor who immigrated to
America in 1914. Drawing his inspiration from American subjects, Brcin
sculpted busts of President Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and many others.
He also created large reliefs depicting scenes from American history.

Media

PRINT

Amerikanski Srbobran (The American Serb Defender).

Published by the Serb National Federation since 1906, this is the oldest
and largest circulating Serbian bilingual weekly newspaper in the United
States, covering cultural, political, and sporting events of interest to
Serbian Americans.

Founded in 1959, this historical and literary review is published
biannually.

Contact:
Draško Braunović, Editor.

Address:
774 Emroy Avenue, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126.

Telephone:
(630) 833-3721.

Serb World U.S.A.

A continuation of
Serb World
(1979-1983), this bimonthly, illustrated magazine was established in
1984. It features articles about Serbian American immigrants'
cultural heritage and history, as well as other topics relating to Serbian
Americans.

Contact:
Mary Nicklanovic-Hart

Address:
415 E. Mabel St., Tucson, Arizona 85705-7456.

Telephone:
(602) 624-4887.

Serbian Studies.

Founded in 1980, this scholarly journal is published biannually by the
North American Society for Serbian Studies. It offers broad coverage of
history, political science, art, and the humanities.

RADIO

Weekly three-hour program featuring Serbian music and news, especially
from Belgrade, Pale, and Knin.

Contact:
Djordje Djelić, Director.

Address:
6364 Pearl Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44130.

Telephone:
(216) 842-6161.

Fax:
(216) 842-6163.

"Serbian Radio Program," KTYM-AM 1460 and KORG-AM 1190.

Program is broadcasted twice a day on Saturdays, featuring world news,
special reportage from Belgrade, Pale, and Knin and music of Serbian
origin.

Contact:
Veroljub Radivojević, Director.

Address:
23128 Gainford Street, Woodland Hills, California 91364.

Telephone:
(818) 222-5073.
Fax:
(818) 591-9678.

Organizations and Associations

Belgrade Club, Inc.

Founded in 1982. A non-profit membership organization engaged in such
cultural programs as lectures on art and art history, and film screenings.
Publishes a quarterly bulletin covering the arts.

Contact:
Donya-Dobrila Schimansky, President.

Address:
P.O. Box 6235, Yorkville Station, New York, New York 10128.

Serb National Federation (SNF).

Founded in 1906, the SNF has lodges throughout the United States and
Canada. Its activities transcend business interests to include sponsoring
and promoting many programs from sports to scholarship within the Serbian
American community.

Established in 1992, SAAO serves as a clearing-house for information and
research on current events occurring in the former Yugoslavia, and
arranges guest appearances on radio and television stations across the
United States.

Contact:
Danielle Sremac, Director.

Address:
P.O. Box 32238, Washington, D.C., 20007.

Telephone:
(202) 965-2141.
Fax:
(202) 965-2187.

Serbian Cultural Club "St. Sava" (Srpski Kulturni Klub
"Sv. Sava").

Founded in 1951, this organization has chapters throughout the United
States and abroad. Activities promote Serbian culture and political
awareness among the host nations and the hosts' culture among the
Serbs.

Address:
448 Barry Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60657.

Telephone:
(773) 549-1099.

Serbian National Defense Council of America (Sprska Narodna Odbrana).

Established in 1941 with chapters throughout the United States and abroad.
Activities focus on political and cultural Serbian interests.

Contact:
Slavko Panović, President.

Address:
5782 N. Elston, Chicago, Illinois 60646.

Telephone:
(773) 775-7772.

Fax:
(773) 775-7779.

Museums and Research Centers

North American Society for Serbian Studies.

Founded in 1980 within the framework of the American Association for the
Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) to research and promote Serbian
literature, history, and culture. Attracts Serbian scholars from the
United States, Canada, and Mexico, who meet at annual conferences of the
AAASS. (Note: The address of this organization varies according to the
location of the president, elected for a one year term during the
conference.)

Contact:
Radmila J. Gorop, President

Address:
Department of Slavic Studies, Columbia University, New York, New York
10027.

Telephone:
(212) 854-3941.

Sources for Additional Study

Kisslinger, J.
The Serbian Americans.
New York: Chelsea House, 1990.

Pavlovich, Paul.
The Serbians: The Story of a People
. Toronto: Serbian Heritage Books, 1988.

Radovich, Milan. "The Serbian Press" in
The Ethnic Press in the United States: A Historical Analysis and
Handbook.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1987, pp. 337-351.

Singleton, F.
A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples.
Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Thank you for some of the more positive aspects of what serbs have done. It is very difficult these days to quite hard to understand the current situation and the future of serbia. There is much negative perpatrated on television that it is hard to imagine anyone seeing my people as good hearted and strong contributors to the modern America. My family came to Canada 15 years ago with the same dream as those before us to make a better life and to imrpove the life here. Hopefully people will see this instead of the phantom evil we are portrayed on television. I am Serbian, I wear an Allen Iverson jersey, I speak English Fluent, I listen to rap music, my best friend is a Croat. I wear American Clothing listen to American music and drink Coca Cola. So how can one consider me an enemy? Once again thank you for the positive influence. Keep up the Hustle!

I am not Serbian.. but was recently in Serbia to film a DVD on the Serbian folk character MITAR TARABICH... well..

having traveled with the world.. I can now say I have found a country ( Serbia ) which is:

1. soooo incredibly beautiful
2. Belgrade being the most clean and beautiful capital city in Europe
3. The Serbs being the MOST hospitable, courteous, generous-hearted people
4. the arts and traditions of cultural just gorgeous and the "oral tradition" of storytelling so compelling

I would move to Belgrade in a minute.. and the rurual villages are so incredibly beautiful... we just loved being in Serbia.. the whole world should know that this country and the Serb people are a 1,000 times different than what the Western Media has portrayed of them and the country

I FOUND THIS ARTICLE SO INTERESTING AND FILLED WITH SO MANY FACTS. MY FATHER CAME TO US IN 1911. BUT I WAS NOT TOLD MUCH ABOUT HIS COUNTRY OR THE SPELLING OF HIS NAME. SO ANY INFORMATION IS HELPFUL. THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE. MY FATHER'S NAME WAS MILAN HAJDENOVICH(SP) NOT SURE OF SPELLING.
THANK YOU.

Hvala! for a very good article! My mother's parents immigrated to the US in the early 1900s (to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and my grandfather, Mile Mamula, worked in the steel mills. My grandmother, Marta Vucinic Mamula, missed her small family village (Vucinic Selo, near Ogulin - I don't think it is there anymore). My grandfather was from the Ogulin area as well. 'Hi' to Serbs (and friends of Serbs!) everywhere! May you have a blessed Lenten season and Pascha.

The only aspect of life that cannot be changed by life's forceful thrusts is what we hold inside. The continuity of one's thoughts and the integrity of one's character is what holds as a stone wall against the will of time and life. I am not proud of what the current regime has done, or of what the world thinks of us. I am proud of how I was brought up and of the values I was taught. I am proud of how my people have celebrated the good times and how they managed to survive the bad times. It is the endurance and the strength, the spirit and the vigor of an average Serbian that makes me proud when I say: "I am Serbian."

My mother, Zora Veljkov from Novi Sad, married my father, an American-born German-Irishman in S.F. CA in the late 1940's.
In the mid-'60's, my grandmother, Milanka Veljkov, while living in Flint, Michigan, read in the Srbobran something about an ancestor who had been adopted into the family.
I am currently, in Chicago, just blocks away from The Newberry Library, a nationally well-known library for genealogical-research. I am looking for information regarding my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Nicholas Bizumich (SP?).
I'm trying to find the small artical in the Srbobran.
In doing the research, I'm finding how beloved the Serbs, their families, traditions and Serbia in general are highly respected.
If anyone has information on how to get a hold of past Srbobran Publications, please contact me thoughe email: eddie@mac.com ............. Thanks! And, "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"

Excellent bank of info about Serbians-overall. I'm currently an engineering student and while I have learned to gained most of the info from the readings, it's nice to read a summary of where I come from and what it takes to be called a Serb.

I am serbian and proud to be one.My mom,dad,both grandparents are serbian.My dad,grandparents from both sides came from Serbia or Yugoslavia.My daughter sent this to me and i am so pleased to be able to read this article
Thank you

My grandmother was Sophia Mandich, before marrying Louis Marunich. I am told she was related to the mother of Tesla, Djuka Mandich. My g'parents were born about 1884+/-. Louis came to USA in 1901, and Sophia followed in 1905. Can someone w/resources in Serbia or Croatia,near Medak, help me determine if g'ma is related to Nikola Mandic, g'father of Tesla? Thanks! As you see by my e-mail address, I am a teacher/principal.
Greatly appreciated all the info. in article.

A wonderful page I happened to discover. I appreciate the detail and full thoughts that went in to writing this. I am from Pittsburgh originally, when I went to Serbija a few years back I explained to teh people in the small village that many of my friends were Serbijan and they were quite surprised. Now, I can see why so many of the families in the neighborhood choose to come to American.
Khwala,
Eveline

I am very glad that I came across this site in search of my Serbian heritage. My Great Grandfather immigrated to the US in the late 1800's from Montenegro. I am a history major and upon completion of my degree I plan to devote a large part of my career to the study of Serbian history, and to promote hope for the future. I agree with Stefan. Our people get too much negative attention. Let's continue to promote the positive and perhaps help Serbia to become great again.

The Serbian people have achieved greatness in all areas of life. It is nice to read and hear about the positive aspects of Serbs throughout the world instead of the negative stereotypes and stigma that the media displayed in recent years. My great grandparents came over to the United States in the early 1900's from Serbia. I am a proud Serb American and anybody with Serbian blood should also be! May God be with my Serbian brothers and sisters.

I'm not Serbian, nor have I been to Serbia, but I have quite a few friends who were born there and have since moved to my home town. Thanks for this article. It helped me just a little to understand where my friends come from. Three Fingers!

Hello,
I was married to a Marunich who was third generation related to Nicola Tesla. The name Sophia Mandick or Mandic did marry a Louis Marunich. If I am not mistaken, both sides come down from the Tesla lineage.
Nick Marns or Nik Marunich used to be a translator in America for the Serbian people. Does this ring a bell with anyone out there? Nick died around 1995-96. He was a man who knew more about the Serbian history than anyone I had ever met.
If someone can attest to what I am saying please respond.
Thank you.

Hello.i am not serbian. i am albanian from Kosovo.and i read littel of history of serbian and i will read all,i thinkk like one serbian said that to " stop hateing each other Kosovars and serbians" couz i dont think all serbian want more war .they must accept kosovo .and i will think that part of mitrovica where are serbs must TO BE part of serbia.and the other city that are in serbia MEdvegja or the other that lives more albanian to be part of Kosovo.and to live kosovo and serbia better live together.there are not all serbian criminels ,there are not all albanian that want to hate serbians.good bye and hope
one day to go in serbian and to met a lot of freinds:D

Very good article... I am a relatively recent immigrant and always happy to get more info on Serb-Americans of past generations. Director Peter Bogdanovich, actress Mila Jovovich, Marine Colonel Mitchell Paige, the original inspiration for G.I. Joe, WWI hero Louis Cukela, fmr. Senator George Vojinovich, Rep. Melissa Bean, basketball coaches Gregg Popovich and Pistol Pete's father Press, Mike Ilitch, pizza mogul and professional sports owner from Detroit should also be added to the list of famous Serb-Americans. That's just to name some... Some infamous ones, too, like Gov. Blagojevich, Peter Bacanovic, Martha Stewart's broker, etc.

I enjoyed reading this informative site. I am proud of accomplishments of my ancestery on the site but not too surprised. I saw the talent in my family.

My last name is Simich. My grandparents, Michael and Emilia Simich were born in Split. They were born around 1985 and came to NY around
1905. My grandfather worked as a chief on an austrian ship where he learned pastry and bakery. His parents had a candy shop in Split, my grandmother parents ran an outdoor cafe. Her maiden name was Frabris, her mothers maiden was Vydoiac (spelling).

My grandfather spoke 5 languages and was hired at a hotel in NY as a pastry chef, then on to Chgo. where he was training chefs in the hotels. My dad said he remembered the tall white hat his dad wore.

My grandparents moved to Chgo and operated two bakeries at 16th and Racine and Taylor street. My grandfather and grandmother also spoke fluent Italian and French. My grandmother only could write in Crotian but spoke fluent English to me. My grandfather first worked at the hotels in downtown chgo and quickly made enough to open his own bakery.

They had four boys in six years. My dad the oldest, spoke five languages until he passed on 5 mos prior to 98 yrs of age. He lived with me the last six yrs of his life. He required no daily meds. He drank red wine, ate fish, and always had olive oil in the house. I have fond memories of him. It is true the family values are instilled to respect and care for your parents.

My grandfather passed on 1943 so I never met him. My grandma Simich was the best loving grandmother one could have. My three uncles also can be added to the site with their abilities. One uncle had a 150 IQ, the army placed him in the engineering core and he was given the bronze star. After the army, only a high school grad went to receive patents and worked as an engineer, he played the piano and violin. the third son, was gifted with total recall and wanted to be an atty but the depression chged that. the 4th son of my grandparents was a commerical artist and could play any instrument by ear.

My father the first son of 4 boys born withn 6 yrs, starting in 1910. I find it amazing what my grandparents achieved.

My grandmother told me that her first communion book was in Italian. She seemed to have alot of Italian customs. Split is a coastal city. Is Simich a very common name?

Great information obtained from this reading. My Grandparents were born and raised in Cetinje and came to the US in the early 1900's. Would love to visit Yugoslavia and walk where my Grandparents were raised. Also would love to trace family still in that area. Thanks for the article. I will save and read over and over. Greetings to all my fellow serbs/montenegoids.

Hi, I just have one thing to complain: king Petar II didn't fled, he left the state as others Balkan's royalties, 'cause there was an agreement about their evacuation to U.K. Sorry, for this complaining, but the story about king's fled is comunists propaganda after WW II.
Greetings from Serbia...

Hello, My name is Mara J. Murphy and I need help with finding information on my family (my mothers family) which are
called Popovich (Popovic) family. My uncle Gilbert is not wanting to help me any more. He put some information in a magazine and that magazine is not up to date. This site has some information that I need to know. Thank You.

Hello, my name is John Lawson and I need help finding information on my family. My father’s name was Theodore Uzelac before he changed his name to Leland Lawson and he married my mother Patricia Vaughn. My grandfather’s name is Bozidar Uzelac born on or about 24 APR 1893 in Yugoslavia and died on or about 7 SEP 1973. He worked for the American Srbobran for most of his life. His wife's name was Edna (Victoria) Zeller. I know my father published several articles in the American Srbobran under Ted Uzelac. I would like to know how I could find those articles and more information on my Grandfather Bozidar Uzelac. I would really like to know more about my heritage. V/r John

Serbian Americans !!! That sounds so beuatiful to my ears. I know how long my father waited to be able to get a visa to come to this country. Now, I think he would rather live in Dalmacija at his older age but cannot go back to his village as the entire village was demolished by the U.S. and Croatian forces in the recent war in the Ex-Yugoslavia !!! Great article and great info for many of us to know !!!

Hello. Very interesting comments and article. I am not Serbian, however, my ancestors are from Budva. I have several famous great uncles. Dr. Spiro Sargentich was one of the first graduates from the University of California, Berkeley in 1898. He went on to receive his PHD in medicine. Besides a great medical career in Oregon and Washington Sate, he went home to be a surgeon in both Balkan Wars and was instrumental in fighting against the typhus epidemic. In WW1 he again helped as a surgeon in France. He won countless awards and honors. He attended the Paris peace conferences and worked for the US as advisor for the Veterans Administration and Red Cross. His brother, Stevo Srzentic, who stayed in Budua, was a lawyer and Mayor of Budua in 1914. He was elected as Boka representative of the Dalmatian parliament. He was an avid patriot and in 1941 he was arrested held hostage and killed.

Spiro and Stevo's fathers name was Filip Srzentic. He gained great wealth during the American gold rush as a sea navigator aboard merchant ships. He returned home to put all 7 of his children into school. I am looking for more information about Filip. I have researched for several months. I do not have his birth or death date. I do not speak or write Serbian so it makes the task much more difficult. Does anyone have any ideas on how to search ?
Thanks so much.

Hi.Iam sending this for my Wonderfull Husband .Stanislaw who is Polish. His Mother was taken to Germany in ww2.Where she met his Father .My Husband and I.went to the village last year where my Mother in law was.He was never told who his Father was,his name or nationality.My Husband, and our Daughter have been searching for many years ,to find information about his Father. My Husbands Mother would not speak of where she was in Germany,when he was conceived, only she did not know his Fathers name.We found out when she died, where she was in Germany. We went to the house next door to where she worked on the farm.As our Daughter had wrote to the people who my Mother in law had worked for there Grandparents ,but they did not acknowledge the letter.But we found from the archives,that was the place she had worked.We spoke the some people in the village ,who told us there were quite a few Serbians working there on the farms,and 1 Serbian was living and working on the same farm as my Mother,in law ,The Mayor of Vierden, that was the name of the village near sittensen. told us they called the Serbian Drago.Some older man in the village had said in an email he rememberd my Mother in Law Maria AND he had remmemberd her being pregnant ,and she went back to Poland.And that my Husbands father ,is Serbian.It is very hard to understand why my Mother in law would not tell my Husband who is Father was. He did not meet his Mother until he was 17,As she came to England in 1947. and he was in POLAND with his Grandparents.He is such a loving Father and Grandfather.And there is not a day go buy when he does not talk about his Father who he does not know.Do you have any ideas , or information ,where we could find out about Serbians being registerd, and working in Germany. in ww2. Thank you so much for reading my email ,I saw this site and thought I would email you . Bless YOU. Hannah Kolodziejczyk .

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